A Facebook user on May 19 claimed that prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are delaying the investigation into former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody drug war because “they cannot find witnesses.” This is false.
Witnesses have already been working with the ICC. The Office of the Prosecutor recently only asked to extend the deadline to withhold the identities of the witnesses, citing safety risks if it were to be disclosed immediately.
Featuring a screenshot of a The Manila Times news report on this development, the caption of the spurious post read,
“Napaka unfair. WALA silang mahanap na witness tapos hanggang humihingi sila ng delay sa ICC dahil di sila makahanap ng witness, ang tagal na sa loob ni PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte).”
(It’s so unfair. They found no witnesses until they asked the ICC to delay because they could not find witnesses. PRRD has been in there for so long.)
The Prosecution asked the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I to extend the deadline to disclose materials cited in Duterte’s warrant of arrest from May 9 to July 1, so that “adequate protective measures” can be put in place for the witnesses.
The Prosecution also requested to extend the application to withhold identities of witnesses from May 23 to June 20.
Duterte’s next court appearance is provisionally scheduled for Sept. 23 for the confirmation of charges, where it will be determined if there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the former president committed the crimes he is suspected of.
Facebook user Kiffy Chu (created March 28), which posted the false claim, is an account of pro-Duterte vlogger Krizette Laureta Chu whose original FB account has been suspended. Her false post garnered over 7,600 reactions, 1,200 comments and 600 shares as of writing.
